On Thursday March 24, juniors and seniors in the York High School’s (YHS) International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme utilized the Elluminate software to engage in an electronic question/answer session with Mark Carney, an English teacher in Fukushima City, Japan. Mr. Carney was an eyewitness to the earthquake, tsunami and continuing situation involving the nuclear power plant; and as a graduate of the University of Richmond, he was able to help relate experiences to students' lives in Virginia. In preparation for the discussion, instructors guided students through developing questions that ranged from the real story of the nuclear reactors to the media coverage in the United States vs. Japan. YHS participating students asked thoughtful questions at the analysis and synthesis level. This experience not only helped students process this major world event, but helped students utilize technology to span the globe. Mai-AhnTran, YHS teacher, with the assistance of Karen Askin, Educational Technology Facilitator (ETF), did an outstanding job in using the new Logitech cameras and the Elluminate software to conduct this conference. Anthony Vladu, YHS Assistant Principal, had the privilege of observing YHS students and teachers conduct the live video conference.
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